Gifts
by Extrasensory
Summary: It was an unusual hiding place for a Champion. So she should have expected some surprise encounters. Pandorashipping DawnxSaturn


**Title:** "Gifts"  
**Author's Note:** Hoorah Pandorashipping! A lovely little pairing. It's rare to see a fanfic about it. So I, er, wrote one. Spread the love of Dawn and Saturn. Oh, and this is GAME-VERSE, so it's not about the anime Dawn and such.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon, because if I did I wouldn't be writing this.

* * *

Every now and again, Dawn grew slightly bored from all the attention. She was Champion, which meant media coverage, Pokemart openings, challenges from many, many trainers. The newspapers called her a miracle baby, the youngest Champion of the Pokemon League ever. She did her bit and courted the paparazzi, carrying her most recently hatched baby Pokemon around in her arms while the world collectively cooed.

But sometimes it grew too much. The press machine was in full swing for the occasion of her next birthday. Lavish presents kept arriving in the post, much to the bemusement of her mother. Dawn could not escape from the relentless glare of the cameras. She was out of hiding places. Where could she go? There was only one option. She had to go to a place that no-one would ever follow her to.

Weeds brushed at her feet as she approached the Galactic HQ in Veilstone. No-one took the time to keep it in order nowadays. The gang within were much the same. Ever since her defeat of Cyrus at Spear Pillar, only deeply divided remnants of Team Galactic remained. They used to be a mob, feared and loathed by the general populace. Now, however, they were the silly little cult that nobody gave a second thought to. She still had the key to the inner workings of the place, gathering rust. It was easy enough to barge straight into the headquarters. There weren't even any 'grunts' about. She looked out the windows, smearing the dust off first. The coast was clear. Finally, she could get some time to herself.

Dawn stretched, and wiped her dusty hands on her trademark pink skirt. She stepped over to the coffee machine in the corner of the reception lounge. She paid for a cup of tea, took out her book - "Cynthia: Life of a Champion" - and sat down to read. Pokemon training could wait. She'd surely be doing enough of that in the future, what with offers to become a full-time Elite Four Member and even a Contest Judge.

"I don't think so," she giggled, sipping her tea, "Champion, Elite Four - all they do is sit around waiting for challenges. Must be dull..."

"Yes, you'd want a much more _exciting_ job, wouldn't you?"

Dawn dropped her tea. The paper cup smashed on to the floor, hot liquid spilling everywhere. She jumped up and whirled around, facing where the voice had come from. A young man stood before her, blue hair scraped back into its usual pointed style that Dawn knew well. He had the appearance of a man who had suddenly been put under immense pressure very quickly and in a short space of time. The muscle under his eye twitched as he looked her up and down.

"Kid," he stated, "your name was Dawn, wasn't it?"

"It still is, if that's what you mean." Dawn said cooly. Saturn of Team Galactic. What was he going to do, fight her again? He knew better. She was the Champion.

"Confident, still." Saturn replied, "I like that. And you still have the manners of a child."

"What do you want now?"

"I could ask the same of you. What are you doing here again? You have no need to be here. This is our headquarters."

"Don't you mean _your _headquarters?" Dawn asked flatly. Saturn gave her a long look. His eyes were darkened with exhaustion.

"My headquarters...yes, that's right. I'm the leader of Team Galactic." He said it as if he was reminding himself of the fact. "I have no time for you. I have meetings to attend, people to see."

"Looks like they've got no time for you, either." Dawn sniped. She was aware it was cruel. But she saw what these people did. This man, he contributed to almost total destruction of Sinnoh. Since when did feelings matter when you dealt with injustice?

Saturn's hand clenched, his head jutting as if to grab Dawn. She stepped back, eyes locking shut, ready to face physical contact. None came. A few seconds passed. Dawn's eyes fluttered open. Saturn had collapsed on to a chair. His head was in his hands. He didn't appear to be crying, however. So Dawn stood there, awkwardly, tugging at her skirt, maybe wondering if she could slip out of the door before anybody else had a breakdown in front of her. She moved to go.

"You don't get it, do you?" Saturn murmured. Dawn stopped. She cast her gaze on the man in front of her. His eyes rose to hers. Through the worry and pain, he still looked painfully young. Really only a boy.

"I don't?" Dawn whispered, so quietly she wasn't even sure Saturn had heard her.

"There's no point. All of what we fought for, gone. There's no purpose for us anymore. We wanted to make a better world. He said he did. And we failed. And it's gone. You know why? I'll tell you why." Saturn's rage bubbled up to the surface. He had been taught to suppress his emotions, but there were no teachings to listen to this time. He shouted, ranted everything he had kept down until now. "Nobody told me a damn thing. Nobody. Even those _grunts_ knew more than I did. All my loyalty was for nothing. All pointless. Our dream, his dream - his dream! It wasn't about us. It was about him! Well, my dream was different! And it doesn't lie here anymore. I don't think it ever did!"

Saturn was shaking. He still didn't cry, but in the absence of tears, his face said more than words ever could. Dawn lowered her head, staring at her shoes. She should never have come here, she knew it, but that was in the past now. What was there left to do but finish this, once and for all?

"Everyone has dreams," she said, softly, "we have to believe in them. We can't give up on them, no matter what we do. Saturn."

His name. It made Saturn take notice of this girl, her gentler voice and what she was saying to him. He looked at her. She looked at him. She brushed her dark hair aside.

"Saturn...I'm sorry."

One moment and two words. Then she was gone.

-

The birthday party was, as expected, chaotic. The media tried to swarm like angry Beedrill all over Dawn, who was still trying to get some normality back into her life. But eventually they gave up, and she was free to a quiet day with her family at home, opening presents. What young teenage girl didn't love receiving presents, whoever they might be from?

Soon the vast pile of gifts had vanished, and Dawn was left smiling as she put her plate that she had just devoured chocolate cake from down.

"Okay," she said, "okay! I'm done. That was probably the best cake ever. Can I have some more?"

"No, no, you'll get sick, you silly girl!" her mother laughed, "Besides, there's still something you need to open."

"What?"

"You missed this."

Dawn looked curiously at the small envelope her mother handed her. It was another fan of hers, wasn't it? It always was. She quickly tore the envelope apart and took out the dull blue card inside. Must be a pretty unimaginative fan, then. She opened the card and scanned the italic writing inked upon it.

Then she did it again.

And again.

And again.

Her mother shifted slightly in her seat, giving Dawn a questioning look as her daughter continued to stare at the inside of her card.

"Dear," her mother started, but Dawn immediately rose upwards from where she was sitting and turned slowly to face her parent. She smiled.

"It's okay." She placed the card on the middle of the mantelpiece, pride of place amongst the others. "It's just a...friend."

-

_Dawn,_

_For once a girl like you was right. I have closed the HQ. There was no reason for it to be open anymore. I am no longer rotting in that place. It is time to start again, start anew. Thank you for showing me that._

_I owe you a great deal of gratitude. You truly are a remarkable young woman._

_I hope one day we meet again._

_Saturn_


End file.
